Climbed Mt. Si on the first day of the New Year!
I had heard about this crazy climb at the weekly OSAT meeting on Tiger Mountain. New Year’s Eve was Monday night, and I got up early Tuesday and drove to North Bend, after my customary stop at Starbucks to load up on a double tall, one-pump mocha with whip, 8-grain roll and apple/cheese bistro box. I added a banana at the last minute but that was a big mistake. Banana’s don’t travel well in the cold weather! They turn into squshy, slimy messes. Ick. That’s a crappy way to break in a new pack. Anyway, headed out to North Bend to find the Big Si trailhead. It was easy to find and I got there at 8. There were a lot of people already there, getting their gear ready. I got some very warm greetings from people who I don’t even know but I’m getting used to that now. That is the OSAT, and AA, way. I find this very comforting. There is acceptance and a willingness to help, and no judgment at all. I like it.
We all gathered in a large circle in the parking lot, counted off, then said the Serenity Prayer. It’s funny, I say this prayer many times a week now but I am still not really feeling it. That’s probably because it begins with “God…” and I still have not identified my higher power, much less what my God is. After the prayer, one person was designated a leader and another a “sweeper”. The sweeper brought up the rear and made sure no one was left behind. That’s a good idea. The leader took off at a very fast pace and I struggled to keep up. These guys are in good shape! I had my new pack that I had bought at the REI Garage Sale the previous weekend (Osprey Aether 60) and had put about 20 pounds of weight in there to see how it felt. I was huffing and puffing after just a few minutes. Funny thing about my conditioning at this point: I get tired very quickly but I am able to continue that way for a long time. So I have some endurance but not good initial conditioning. Very soon, the large group broke up into two smaller ones – one was fast, the other group was more leisurely. I stayed with the fast group – I really need to learn to slow down. I have nothing to prove. Just relax man. Enjoy the moment. Don’t worry about proving anything to anyone.
Halfway up we began to see some packed ice on the trail. Mt Si trail goes steadily upwards through some nice forest. The route is 4 miles to the top. There are a couple of mile markers along the way but I didn’t notice them. I was too busy adjusting the pack. I love the pack but it was sitting weird the whole way and I kept shifting it around. It was sitting heavily on my hips and making those muscles sore. The group pulled over and put on their traction devices. I was pleased to see that most everyone had the same microspikes that I had just picked up from Second Ascent in Ballard – the Kahtoola Microspikes. These things are great! So easy to put on and you don’t even notice they are on but they sure grip the snow and ice. Wow!
Made it to the top of the trail in just under two hours. This is a good pace I think, since the Mt. Si GCC time trials require students to make it to the top in less than 2 1/2 hours with a 30 pound pack. I think I can do that now, so I ‘m feeling better about the conditioning piece.
The “summit” was beautiful. It was a clear and cold day with little wind and the views were amazing. A good way to start the New Year. I hope I can keep it up.
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Mt Si, January 1, 2013
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